Plans for new illuminated archways in Horsham town centre

Planning permission is currently being sought from Horsham District Council to site them at Piries Place.

If given the go-ahead, one archway would be built at a twitten between Carfax and Piries Place and another at Stan’s Way.

Property company TDH, acting on behalf of pension company owners of Piries Place, says it is intended to make a ‘design feature’ of the approach to Piries Place to attract more public attention to that part of the town centre.

In a statement to the council, TDH says: “While generally successful, a number of units created in Piries Place, following the redevelopment of the former Waitrose store to a cinema, hotel and other leisure uses, remain vacant.

"It is the owner’s view, supported by discussions with their agents and other existing tenants, that footfall remains low because of the limited visibility of Piries Place from the wider town centre.”

It is planned that the illuminated archways would be installed year round, with the lighting controlled by an ambient light sensor to come on at dusk.

TDH says: “While the lighting colour can be changed quickly, it is intended that all the arches will be using the same colour at any point in time and changes will happen on a limited basis, relating to particular seasonal events.”

Have you read? Sussex village pub forced to take down naughty sign

11 Great places to grab coffee and cake in Horsham

It says the lighting could, for example, be orange at Halloween and gold at Christmas.

Landgage Heritage, in a statement to the council, says the illuminated arches would not be detrimental to Horsham’s conservation area.